Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization and a leader in improving the way the healthcare system addresses and treats substance use disorders, honored Amanda Hite, president, STR, a CoStar Group company, with the 2025 Shatterproof Hospitality Hero Award. Hite is recognized for her courage and commitment toward raising awareness of substance use disorder and ending addiction stigma. As the seventh recipient but first woman to win, Hite sets new standards at her company and within the industry.
Senior executives across the hotel industry united during NorthStar Travel Group’s annual Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles to commend Hite on her accomplishments. More than 70 hospitality companies raised $2.1 million during the event to advance Shatterproof’s important work led by Founder and CEO, Gary Mendell, a former hotelier (chairman and co-founder of HEI Hotels and Resorts), who lost his son Brian to addiction in 2011.
“I am honored to receive this award, but more importantly, to help raise critical support for Shatterproof and the transformational work they are doing,” said Hite. “STR is proud to collaborate with Shatterproof as they lead the way in advocating for people with substance use disorder, their families and the communities this disease impacts.”
Following the reception, Hite joined other industry leaders including Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; Paul Daly, Global Head of Franchise & Owner Relations at Hyatt; Julienne Smith, Chief Development Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts; and Shatterproof’s Gary Mendell for a panel discussion to further define next steps for the industry. The conversation was moving and inspiring, with each member of the dais sharing their personal connection to the mission. The session culminated with Hite announcing an annual partnership with Shatterproof, Ballotti announcing that Shatterproof will be named a featured charity at the 2025 Wyndham Global Conference, Daly committing to continue Hyatt’s efforts to make a safe environment for colleagues and guests recovering from addiction and Smith announcing a rollout out of Shatterproof’s Just Five educational platform later this year. To close the panel, Smith also announced a personal donation, a further testament to her commitment to impact.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), employees of restaurants and hotels (the two major branches of the hospitality industry) have the highest rates of substance use out of the entire American workforce. A substance use disorder doesn’t just affect employees themselves and their families; businesses lose billions of dollars each year in the form of higher health care costs, absenteeism and presenteeism (when employees are at work, but not fully productive).
Since 2016, the hospitality industry has raised more than $9.6 million for Shatterproof during events at ALIS, and this year many of the industry’s leading hospitality brands pledged to onboard Shatterproof’s employee education program Just Five to further support their employees. Hospitality partners are also helping to bring the conversation into the light, by publicly sponsoring Shatterproof’s annual Walks to End Addiction Stigma, the largest event series for substance use disorder in the country.
“I continue to be inspired by the incredible support of the hospitality industry,” said Mendell. “Substance use disorder is a largely preventable disease, and it is through the generous support and awareness efforts of the hospitality industry that we will be able to reduce stigma and increase the number of policy changes and treatment resources to end this crisis. They are the first industry that has really moved the needle as an industry with regards to Shatterproof. Each year they get more involved and are going beyond sponsoring the event—but are working to educate and provide resources to their employees, customers and communities.”
The 2025 Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes Committee includes James Burba and Jeff Higley, Burba Hotel Network; Paul Whetsell, CapStar Hotel Company; Clark Hanrattie, Anthony Rutledge, and Greg Mendell, HEI Hotels & Resorts; Chris Nassetta, Hilton Hotels and Resorts; Dan Lesser, LW Hospitality Advisors; Bill Reynolds, Marcus Hotels; Joel Eisemann, Noble Investment Group; Mark Woodworth, Woodworth Core Group; Robert Alter, Seaview Investors; Stacy Silver, Silver Hospitality Group; Gary Mendell, Shatterproof; Thomas Corcoran, TCOR Hotel Partners; Patrick Campbell, Tim Hodes and Merrick Kleeman, Wheelock Street Capital; and Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.